Monday, May 16, 2016

We’re thrilled to be talking to Prince Caratacus from Jess Steven Hughes', The Wolf of
Britannia, Part I. It is a pleasure to have (her/him) with us today
at Pimp That Character!

Thank you for your interview, Prince Caratacus.How old are you and what do you do for a
living?

I am 27 in Roman years, and a prince and future king of the
Catuvellaunii and Trinovante tribes found in what you and the Romans call
southern Britannia.

What would I love the most about you?

My devotion and loyalty to my family, especially, my wife,
Rhian, and to the people of my tribes.

Where do you go when you are angry?

I go to the vast forest beyond our hillfort, Camuladunum,
which you call Colchester to hunt.

What makes you laugh out loud?

When someone plays a good practical joke on me. I can laugh
as well as the next man.

What is your most treasured possession?

Besides my wife, Rhian, it is the great steel sword made for
me by my best friend and warrior-blacksmith, Clud.

What is your greatest fear?

That someday the hated Romans will invade our lands as they
did Gaul across the British Channel, killing my people
and destroying our way life. I refuse to let that happen and will fight the
Romans to the death!

Do you think the author portrayed you accurately?

Yes, he did.

Who is your best friend?

The warrior, black-smith and artisan, Clud. He is my
advisor. I found his wisdom to be greater than any chieftain or druid on my
father, the king's council.

Do you have children?

Unfortunately, three baby boys came into this world
stillborn to my beautiful wife, Rhian. She can no longer have children, so I
must take another wife. However, she will remain my chief wife and first love
who I will always honor. She is also a captain of cavalry in the army and
always will fight at my side.

Someone is secretly in love with you.Who is it and how do you feel about that?

It is the traitorous libertine, Cartimandua, soon to be
Queen of the Brigantes, a tribe in northern Britannia, whose capital you call York.
She knows I have no interest in her. She only wants to possess me only to toss
me by the wayside as she has done with so many other men. She is in the pay of
the Romans and would see them invade our lands.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew
up?

To be king of my people and a just ruler.

About the Author

Jess Steven Hughes is a retired police detective sergeant
with twenty-five years experience in criminal investigation and a former U.S.
Marine. He holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration and a minor in
Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations from the University
of Southern California. He has
traveled and studied extensively in the areas forming the background of this
novel, which brings vivid authenticity to the unique settings for his
historical novels, The
Wolf of Britannia, Part I, The Wolf of Britannia, Part II, and The Sign of the Eagle. He currently
lives with his wife, Liz, and their three horses in Eastern
Washington. He is currently working on another historical novel
from the First Century A.D.

First
Century AD Britain is a fragmented land of warring Celtic tribes, ripe for
invasion by the juggernaut of imperial Rome. Knowing this, a young warrior, soon-to-be-legendary, Prince Caratacus,
must unite the southern tribes if they are to survive. This is an enemy more
cunning and powerful then either he or Britain has ever faced.

Standing
by him is his wife, Rhian, a warrior princess who takes no prisoners. She is
the first woman he has truly loved. With her support and that of other allies,
Caratacus must outsmart a traitorous brother who is determined to take the
throne, aided by a conniving Roman diplomat and a tribal king in the pockets of
the Romans.

Caratacus
must save his country not only from the pending Roman onslaught but from his
own peoples treachery.

We’re thrilled to be talking
to Alex Ivanovitch from M C Domovitch’s, Scorpio’s Kiss. It is a
pleasure to have him with us today at Pimp That Character!

Thank you for your interview,
Mr. Ivanovitch.How old are you and what
do you do for a living?

Thank you for having me. I’m
twenty six, and I work for a New York architectural firm. The job doesn’t pay
all that much, but trust me. I won’t be here for long. Someday I’ll have a firm
of my own. And it’ll be way better than this one. It’ll be the biggest and the
best. I’m way too talented to waste my time working for peanuts.

Can you tell us about one of
your most distinguishable features?

Women like my good looks. They
say I’m a young Cary Grant. Chuckle. Men like my ambition. They look at
me with a bit of mistrust, but they don’t mind hanging onto my coattails and
coming along for the ride. Because it’s gonna be a ride, trust me.

What would I love the most
about you?

My vision of the future. I
want to build big buildings, the tallest that have ever been built. I’ll change
the New York skyline.

What would I hate the most
about you?

Ha ha. Good question. Probably
the fact that you shouldn’t leave your wife alone with me. Hey, don’t blame me.
It’s the women. They can’t keep their hands off me.

Where do you go when you are
angry?

When I was a kid I used to go
to the top of a hill in Brooklyn. From there I could see all the way to
Manhattan. I’d sit there staring at the tall buildings, dreaming of the day
when I’d build some of my own. I was dreaming of the day I’d come back to
Brooklyn, driving some big fancy Cadillac and how I’d show all those jerks who
made fun of me.

What is your most treasured
possession?

My Brooks Brother’s suit. I
paid a mint for it a couple of years ago, but it was worth every penny. It
makes me look successful. You listen to me, if you want to make it in this
world, you have to look the part. You can’t go around looking like a bum. You
have to look sharp. Otherwise nobody will give you the time of day.

What is your greatest fear?

Fear? What do you mean, fear?
I’m not afraid of anything. I mean, sure, right now times are a bit tough, but
that’s only until I make it big. And I’ll make it. You just watch and see. I’ve
got to make it. If I don’t, I-I...I’ve got to. I’ve simply got to.

Do you think the author
portrayed you accurately?

Damn if that author didn’t
read my mind. Or maybe she had me tailed. It’s an invasion of privacy, I tell
you. I have half a mind to sue the bitch. That should teach her a lesson.
Nobody pulls one over on me and gets away with it.

Someone is secretly in love
with you.Who is it and how do you feel
about that?

Ha. What else is new? Every
dame I go out with wants to get married. That’s why I never see anyone more
than for two or three dates. Then it’s sayonara baby. Last time I went out with
a girl for a while, she wanted me to meet her parents. She was talking babies.
Imagine. Me with kids! Honestly, do I have time for kids? Not with everything I
want to accomplish.

If you knew you were going to
die tomorrow, what would you do today?

Die? Me? Ha ha. Are you
kidding? Okay, I’ll humor you. If I was going to die tomorrow, I’d go shopping
for the biggest, the best casket the world has ever seen. But I won’t die.
Hell. I haven’t got time to die.

About the Author

Monique
Domovitch has had many careers, starting with being one of Canada’s top models. When she retired from modeling she moved on
to a career in the financial services as an adviser and planner, specializing
in helping women attain financial freedom. During those years, she was also one
of the first women in Canada to host her own national financial television show. During
all those years, Monique’s dream was always to someday become a writer. Ten
years ago, Monique attended a writer’s conference where the first line of one
of her novels was read out loud in a workshop, attracting the attention of a
publisher and an agent.

Since
that life-changing conference, Monique Domovitch has published nine books, four
with Penguin using the pen name Carol Ann Martin, two with Harlequin using her
own name, and another two with Lansen Publishing. Scorpio’s
Kiss was previously published as two novels, Scorpio Rising and The
Sting of the Scorpio. Scar Tissue, her latest, is her ninth novel
and she is hard at work on her tenth.

A great believer in the energizing
power of writers’ conferences, she says that if not for that first conference
she attended, she would not be published today.

Scorpio's
Kiss is a spell-binding tale of love, ambition and greed that will keep the
reader turning the pages until its surprise ending. Set in New York and Paris amid the glamorous and competitive worlds of art and real
estate, Scorpio's Kiss takes the reader from the late 1940s to the 1960s
through the tumultuous lives of its heroes.

There is
Alex Ivanov, the son of a Russian immigrant and part-time prostitute. He yearns
to escape his sordid life and achieve fame and fortune. His dreams of becoming
a world-class builder are met with countless obstacles, yet he perseveres in
the hope of someday receiving the recognition he craves.

Half a
world away, Brigitte Dartois is an abused teenager who runs into the arms of a
benefactor with an agenda all his own. When she finds out that her boss has an
ulterior motive, she flees again, determined to earn her living through her
art. This career brings her fame, but also the unwanted attention of her early
abuser.

Domovitch’s novel is a compelling
tale, filled with finely etched characters and a superb understanding of the
power of ambition. Scorpio's Kiss promises to resonate with all who once had a
dream.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

We’re thrilled to be talking to Rachel Lyons from Kaylin
McFarren’s Banished Threads. It is a
pleasure to have her with us today at Pimp That Character!

Thank you for your interview, Rachel. How old are you and
what do you do for a living?

I’m 33 years old and left my positon dispersing
grant funding in San Palo, California
a year ago to be with my fiancé
and partner Chase Cohen. Our business involves recovering lost sunken treasure
around the world.

Can you tell us about one of your most distinguishable
features?

I’ve been told that my eyes are remarkable. Perhaps it because
they’re light hazel with blue specks and look more green than brown.

What would I love the most about you?

I love to teach and be
taught. I’m money conscience, hardworking and productive. And I’m loyal, neat
and very organized.

What would I hate the most about you?

I seem to always be
aware of people’s flaws and weaknesses, and have been known to point them out.
I’m not very trusting, I’m afraid…especially if someone breaks a promise or
disappoints me. My boyfriend calms I have difficulty expressing love, but I
think he’s needy at times and foolishly jealous.

The sea captain’s
coat my father used to wear on his ship and the bronze sculpture of my
grandmother I found in my uncle’s art gallery.

What is your greatest fear?

I don’t like being left alone.
My mother disappeared when I was eight and my father died in a diving accident.
My boyfriend Chase skipped town with no explanation before returning a year
ago. It seems like everyone is always leaving me behind.

What is the trait you don’t like about yourself?

I might
come off as whiny, reserved and insecure at times. But I have no idea how to be
a good mother, so that’s perfectly natural, right? And I’ve had to learn how to
make it on my own and that’s not an easy thing to accomplish.

Do you think the author portrayed you accurately?

As well as
she could, I suppose. She wasn’t around when I graduated from college and
worked as a marine biologist. She only knows me as someone who fears the water
after my father tragically drown. I’ll always hold myself accountable after the
terrible argument we had, but I’m learning to forgive others, including myself.
I’m also diving again thanks to Chase and there’s nothing more beautiful in
this world than the creatures living under the sea.

What is your idea of a perfect day?

Waking up to the sound
of the ocean, walking on the beach, sipping a triple skinny mocha latte, and sitting
on a blanket reading a good mystery. I love orchids and the smell of ginger and
although my cottage is modest with simple furnishings, I enjoy visiting Asian
antique shops and looking at brass trinkets. I might even go shopping for
designer shoes, but I don’t think I’m being frivolous. Far from it. Even if
they have 5-inch heels, well-made shoes last longer and look so much nicer
during important business meetings. Don’t you agree?

About the Author

Kaylin McFarren is a California
native who has enjoyed traveling around the world. She previously worked as
director for a fine art gallery, where she helped foster the careers of various
artists before feeling the urge to satisfy her own creative impulses.

Since launching her writing career, McFarren has earned more
than a dozen literary awards in addition to a finalist spot in the 2008 RWA
Golden Heart Contest. A member of RWA, Rose City Romance Writers, and
Willamette Writers, she also lends her participation and support to various
charitable and educational organizations in the Pacific Northwest.

McFarren currently lives with her husband in Oregon
and visits her second home in California
once a month. They have three grown daughters and two grandchildren, and look
forward to having more.

While vacationing at the stately Cumberforge Manor in Bellwood, England, Rachel
Lyons and Chase Cohen attend an elegant dinner party hosted by her uncle, Paul
Lyons, and his aristocratic wife, Sara. Before the evening ends, a priceless
collection of Morris Graves's paintings are stolen from her uncle's popular
gallery, throwing all suspicion onto his wife's missing
granddaughter. Determined to clear Sloan Rafferty's name and, in the
process, win Paul's favor, Chase scours the countryside looking for answers. In
his absence, the police accuse Rachel's uncle of an unsolved murder and secrets
surrounding her grandmother's death and the deaths of Sara's former husbands
turn his wife into the most likely suspect.

With the true villains hell-bent on destroying Paul Lyons and his family,
solving both crimes while ensuring her uncle's freedom not only endangers
Rachel's life but that of her unborn child. Will Chase save them before the
kidnappers enact their revenge or will the ultimate price be paid, as predicted
by a vagabond fortuneteller?

Thursday, May 5, 2016

We’re thrilled to be talking to Jules Windsor from Stephen
Martino’s The Hidden Reality.
It is a pleasure to have him with us today at Pimp That Character!

Thank you for your interview, Jules Windsor.How old are you and what do you do for a
living?

(British Accent) My, what an auspicious way to begin an
interview. Age is irrelevant, and what I do is a completely different story.
Plus, by now you should all know what I do. Was it not I who broke the Bank of
England by selling the Pound short and earning billions in a matter of a single
day? Was it not I who provided my business, The New Reality, with the financial
know-how to economically abscond with the world’s sovereignty simply by
allowing them to spend their way into irreparable economic debt?

Oh, but the question is not what I do, but more
appropriately, what should I be doing? When my insufferably oppressive uncle
relinquished his reign over our business known as The New Reality by dying, I
should have been the one to fill his void. Instead, my uncle placed that
wretched hag, Myra Keres, in charge of the company—a position that was so
rightfully mine.

So if you ever accost me again and so nonchalantly ask what
I do, do not blame me if I walk right away and ignore such blatant ignorance.

What would I love the most about you?

What really is there not to love? My life has been an utmost
success. I’ve not only managed to make an outstanding fortune, but I have also
grown The New Reality into the most successful company ever to exist on this
planet. Plus, I am outstanding wine connoisseur and can pick the precise bottle
for any meal, situation, or even mood. In fact, this interview lends itself to
an exquisite chianti grape blend from Italy.
Ah yes, I have the perfect Toscana IGT made by than none other than Tuscany’s
finest winery, Bibi Graetz. Please, sit while I procure us each a glass.

Where do you go when you are angry?

I take my anger straight to the source. There is no use in
sulking or pussyfooting around the issue. That would be an incredibly
inefficient waste of time and of no discernable benefit. If you dare mess with
Jules Windsor, the fight will not end until only one of us is left standing.
And I can assure you and anyone else that dares to cross paths with me that I
will be the one not lying helpless on my back when this scuffle has ended.

What is your most treasured possession?

I have a treasure worth far more than money or any so called
precious metal could ever buy. What, you want to know what it is? I think I’ve
said more than enough. However, I can to you this one tantalizing tidbit of
information: whomever owns it, owns the world.

What is your greatest fear?

I fear nothing. Fear is an emotion left only for the weak of
mind and body. It is a pathetic feeling that you must conquer, or it will
conquer you. I’ve seen many a fine man and woman fall helpless to its deadly
grasp and wallow in agony as it ruins their lives and careers. Oh, no. Fear is
not in my repertoire of feelings. That I can undoubtable assure you.

Do you think the author portrayed you accurately?

The author is but a petty man who wallows away behind his
computer typing endlessly on his infernal keyboard. Click, click, click goes
the keys as life passes him by. Despite his flaws, I think he has done an
adequate job portraying me in his latest novel. What more could I expect from
such a man with trite abilities?

Who is your best friend?

Who has time for friends? All they would want to do is ride
my coattails and bleed me like a bunch of leaches. My career is my best and
only friend. It’s been there for me since a young lad and will be there for me
as I grow older. It’s with me when I go to bed and greets me in the morning. If
this interview is meant to create some sort of friendship or comradery between
you and I, you are then surely mistaken.

Do you have children?

Why would I want those sniveling little pests around? The
only thing I can fathom worse than having friends is to produce children. Their
crying, neediness, and overall consumption of my time is certainly not for me.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew
up?

There was never a question as to what I would do when I grew
up. It was as predetermined as my genetic code. If I said any more, I would
ruin one of the most climatic scenes in The
Hidden Reality, and that would just not be polite of me if I did such a
thing.

If you knew you were going to die tomorrow, what would you
do today?

Such a simplistic question. Who says I haven’t lived a full
life before or will do so again in the future. Plus, time is but an illusion.
On a quantum level, time does not exist. Whatever has, is, or will happen is
all occurring right now at this moment. Plus, there is not enough time to
answer such a question. Please. I think you have asked more than enough queries
for the day. If you must know more about me, please read The Hidden Reality. It is available at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles
and iBooks. With that note, I must bid you a farewell.

About the Author

Stephen
Martino is neurologist practicing in New Jersey. Though not separating conjoined
twins like Dr. Ben Carson, he is part of an active medical practice and is
currently participating in concussion research and inventing new medical
products. When he is not working, he can be found with his five children doing
homework or cheering them on at a soccer field, basketball court, or dance
recital. Martino is a member of the Knights of Columbus, a Cub Scout den leader
and is an active public speaker, helping to provide stroke education to the
local community, EMS
squads and healthcare professionals.

In the year 2084, the brilliant inventor, Alex Pella, finds
himself at a precarious crossroad between the pursuit of justice and
preservation of his own sanity. While attempting to undermine an international
New World Order government created by the financial juggernaut known as The New
Reality, he must also face the hidden truths about his own genetic heritage
that are slowly destroying him. After receiving an ambiguous message sent from
a former New Reality executive who died 2 years prior, Alex learns that the
only possible means to confront this New World Order is to defeat a
long-forgotten enemy almost 2500 years old.

THE HIDDEN REALITY is the second stand-alone novel in
a trilogy starring Alex Pella, created by New Jersey-based neurologist and
entrepreneur Stephen Martino. With his fusion of history, politics, and science
fiction, Martino joins such masters of the thriller genre as Dan Brown, James
Rollins, and Michael Crichton.

Martino’s villain is a corporation run by a cadre of ruthless international
bankers known as The New Reality. Directed by the most corrupt and morally
unscrupulous of the bunch, Myra Keres, the company has economically seized
control of the world’s governments and the population’s personal freedoms in
the process. In order to save humanity from this despot ruler and the unwonted
atrocities to which she plans to perpetuate on the world, Alex Pella must
infiltrate the company and face an enemy that has unknowingly haunted both him
and history for almost 2500 years.

Martino says he wrote THE HIDDEN REALITY more than just to entertain the reader. He wanted to create a modern
day Orwellian ANIMAL FARM to allegorically forewarn his readers of a
possible dystopia future that awaits all of mankind if humanity continues to
proceed down its path of self-destruction.

In THE HIDDEN REALITY, Martino has included such
hot-button contemporary topics as genetic cloning, unprecedented economic debt,
the rise of big government, and the threat of a New World Order run by the
economic elite, while bringing the reader back almost 2500 years into the past
when the ancient city state nation known as Greece fought the mighty Persian
Empire for world domination.

All of these elements, Martino maintains, separate his book from the pack. He
calls THE HIDDEN REALITY “issue-oriented fiction. There are real
concerns facing society today that threaten both the sovereignty and prosperity
of our future generations. Though fictional, my novel addresses some of these
issues and predicts the potential consequences we face as a nation and the
world if they are not properly addressed today.”

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

We’re thrilled to be talking to Peri Reed from Kim
Harrison’s, The Drafter. It is
a pleasure to have her with us today at Pimp That Character!

Thank you for your interview, Peri.How old are you and what do you do for a
living?

I’m a special task agent for Opti, and if I told you what I
do for a living, I’d have to kill you. Just kidding! My partner, Jack, and I
work for the government as espionage agents to further the United
State’s interests at home and
abroad.

Where do you go when you are angry?

Anywhere Jack isn’t, but the sensory sauna at the executive
gym in my building is a favorite. I usually set it for the Arizona
hot springs.

What is your greatest fear?

I don’t like to be alone. At all.

What is the trait you most dislike about yourself?

Though I won’t admit it to anyone other than an Opti
psychologist, I dislike forgetting. It’s not the simple, “I forgot to feed the
cat,” kind of forgetting, but more like the “who are you, and why are you in my
kitchen?” kind of forgetting. It is tied to my job, and my partner, Jack, can
usually bring most of the lapses back, which is why he’s my partner, but I hate
looking stupid.

If you could change one physical thing about yourself, what
would that be?

I wouldn't mind being a few inches taller.

Are you a loner or do you prefer to surround yourself with
friends?

I’m a loaner, mostly because the government found me when I
was in my early teens. Most of my friends when I was growing up were older than
me, but I do have a solid core of associates, and a few dear friends.

Who is your best friend?

My best friend is Jack. He knows me better than I know
myself.

Do you have children?

No, and I never will. I’m too afraid that they will be like
me.

What is your favorite weather?

Sun, sand, wind, and water.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew
up?

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to work for the
government. They pay me well, keep me doing what I want, let me push my limits,
and the technical toys are to die for.

What is your most treasured possession?

I have a shelf full of what anyone else would call
knickknacks, but each and every one of them holds a memory I do not want to
forget. If I ever do, Jack can help me remember them using the talisman.

About the Author

Kim Harrison, author of the New
York Times #1 best selling Hollows series, was born in Detroit and lived most her her life within an easy drive.
After gaining her bachelors in the sciences, she moved to South Carolina, where she remained until recently returning to Michigan because she missed the snow. She's currently working
on the Peri Reed Chronicles, and when not at her desk, Kim is most likely to be
found landscaping her new/old Victorian home, in the garden, or out on the
links.

Detroit 2030.Double-crossed by the person she loved and betrayed by the
covert government organization that trained her to use her body as a weapon,
Peri Reed is a renegade on the run. Don’t forgive and never forget has always
been Peri’s creed. But her day job makes it difficult: she is a drafter,
possessed of a rare, invaluable skill for altering time, yet destined to forget
both the history she changed and the history she rewrote. When Peri discovers
her name is on a list of corrupt operatives, she realizes that her own life has
been manipulated by the agency. Her memory of the previous three years erased,
she joins forces with a mysterious rogue soldier in a deadly race to piece
together the truth about her fateful final task. Her motto has always been only
to kill those who kill her first. But with nothing but intuition to guide her,
will she have to break her own rule to survive?